GRAVITY

PRODUCTION
Art house or Hollywood
blockbuster?
Institutions involved?
Impact of technology in filming
process?-technological
convergence
Budgets and impact?
Actors, directors + links to
audiences?
Location + budget
implications? Expansive or
restricted
Synergy across companies

DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING

Marketed to a nich or
mainstream audience? How?
Use of web 2.0? Impact?
Digital distribution or 35mm
film?
Online, print or TV campaigns?
Social media role?
Institutions/companies involved
(synergy)
Budget + impact on marketing?
Radio, TV, online interviews/
websites? Target which
audience?

Issues raised by media ownership in

current media practice.
Blockbuster budget VS
independent budgetconsequences for audiences?
How can Film 4 survive in the
British market place against
high budget/ high concept
films?

Budget: $100,000,000
Financed by Warner Bros (one of the
big six)
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney
well known actors
Alfonso Cuaron originally said it was an
independent film idea so for a niche
audience however the technology it
required allowed it to be.
Mainstream audience are able to see
things made that without that amount
of money we would not be able to see
The technology that they used to
create a zero gravity area.

The importance of cross media +

technological convergence + synergy
(for intuitions and audiences)

Technological synergy:
The lights, the robotic camera and
harness were all digitally synchronised

Marketed to a mainstream audience

therefore a huge amount of people can
see it. It is innovative so good that we
know about it.
The mass of success it received would
draw away from the success of other
films that would see it.
Audiences are exposed to seeing
mainly this kind of film (blockbusters)
through trailers, film festivals and the
idea of it being an event to go and see
the film. This idea of it being an event
is often used with independent films
also as it is mainly cinemagoers that
go to see the film.
Social media (twitter discussions,
Facebook pages) they allow for people
to respond to the film, rotten tomatoes

EXHIBITION, COSUMPTION, E
Time of year? Signific
Type of release? Onto
platforms? (Cinema ,
Target audience, linki
release platforms?
Impact of social med
release? Technologica
convergence?
Box office figures for
weekend?
How did the audience
film?
Reviews and audienc
engagement, use of s
media to share thoug
Opening Weekend: $55,785,
Gross profit: $274,084,951
Release Date: 4 October 201
Amount paid out it is fair tha
the amount of success as it
creative, innovative and has
much like an independent fil
Record breaking opening we
figures.
However things such as 12 Y
Slave is an example of the tw
existing. One does not mean
other cannot exist.
Released in a typical release
critics -> Cinema-> DVD etc
Downloadable through iTune
watch on all sorts of TVs - off
ideal film to make use of the

Digital technology + impacts

for film institutions?
(convergence of technologies
impacts on film making)

Recent Technologies + impact on

audiences
Impact of CGI, web 2.0, 3D for
audiences experience of this?
Creation of new technologies
impact on audiences
experiences of film?
Free publication through
endless exchange

to allow fluidity and realism in the

result. A sense of weightlessness was
created.
They were able to create a realistic
sense of zero gravity throughout the
whole film which was not created until
then.
Sets the bar for future films and
pushes the boundaries.
Invented new technology such as:
A cube box made up of LED lights that
created shadows on the actors face in
sync with the graphics.
A harness made from a car
manufacture that would swivel the
actor around as if in space
Actors were held by wires suspend in
air

a website can post their review which

is then shared, it also works off the
votes of people around the world.
Reviews by professional critics were
posted and therefore start a buzz prerelease.
Graham Norton and the Oscars being
broadcasted meant that Sandra
bullock was publicised.
Different social media platforms allows
an exchange of reviews and media
buzz around the product for free.
Websites can post ratings which can
be viewed for free allowing us to easily
access whether or not to go and see
Gravity.
The trailer viewed across technology
such as before a youtube video, in the
commercial break, in apps.
Spots shown on football games,
morning shows, TV season premieres
Including quotes from reviews that
commented on the 3D on social media
and adverts.

that were coming out at the

Able to view through Apple T
and PlayStation, iPads and iP

Experienced through many d

ways such as IMAX, 3D or sim
the big screen. The different
viewing it. Unlike some othe
blockbusters the film suited
format as things are suppose
floating round the sky at all
rather than just one shot of
coming towards the audienc
allowed the audience to feel
were there in space with San
Bullock, especially due to th
camera which would move m
another person floating in sp
move like. Opinions of the fil
audience could share in diffe
ways (e.g. rotten tomatoes)
Risk of illegally downloading
through Web 2.0 however it
combated through broadcas
VOD, and premier channels.

The importance of hardware +

software + proliferation for
institutions + audiences
Proliferation= the increase of
something
Hardware= physical piece of
technology: mobile phone, light
box, etc.
Software= programs, digital
technology, 3D, CGI,
programming behind Gravitys
light box technology/arm

Issues raised in the targeting of

national and local audiences for global
or international institutions
British film makers often make
art house, nich audience films,
aimed at local and regional
audiences- A, B, C are there
audiences left after big budget,
high concept films?

Light box (creating the correct

shadows on the actors face), harness
(to move the actor realistically
suspended in mid-air), and CGI all had
the effect of making otherwise a very
impossible task of filming in outer
space very possible to replicate the
same results. Although it wasnt real it
was extremely close to what itd
actually look like with high detailed
CGI taken from photos of NASA shapes
and photos of the stars. The preplanned graphics meant that there
was fluidity in the movements and
everything was synchronised so that
there were no faults in the result.
The robotic camera allowed for a
feeling of being in space and
disorientation.
Audiences (mainstream) only really
have the choice of different films that
the big 6 choose to advertise and put
across cinemas. However sometimes
small films can be sponsored by bigger
companies as with gravity which
meant that an otherwise abstract film
was put across to mainstream
audiences. The British do mainly see
American films however a cooperation
between America supplying the money
and advertisement and Britain
supplying the creativity has meant
that we can create films such as

The disorientation as mentioned

before was then picked up as a
marketing hook, the thrill of no control
over where you are looking and where
your body is moving.

Marketed internationally, comic on

cinema con, Venice, Telluride and
Toronto film festivals.
The films are mainly see are of course
produced by the big six, now Netflix is
on offer it opens up smaller films that
are seen in libraries and suggestions.
Gravity could never have been a
success without Warner Bros huge
marketing campaign allowing it to be
seen by millions of people
internationally.

Framestore, a small indepen

company, had the film Gravi
able to make millions for Wa
because of it. As well as this
Bros allowed them to create
their huge fund.

Ways in which your own experiences of

film consumption illustrate wider
patterns of audience behaviour
Do you go to the cinema or
watch films through platform at
home? (TV, PlayStation,
downloads) Why?
Does this tell you anything
about wider patterns of
behaviours?
Where do you think of films
viewing will go?

Gravity.
Do you go to the cinema or
watch films through platform at
home? (TV, PlayStation,
downloads) Why?
I watch mainly mainstream films that
have been advertised through huge
trailers before the film at cinema,
seeing it advertised on Instagram,
before YouTube clips and sometimes
on snapchat. A huge thing is seeing
actors and actresses on Graham
Norton, if theyre funny Im likely to go
and see that film or in the 30 second
extract they show it appeals I will be
likely to go and see it or watch it when
it comes out on DVD. I also watch
Netflix through my account however I
do not download or have a console. I
enjoy watching DVDs so if there is
unusual but seem like good films in
HMV I may purchase it for example the
mechanics which is a French film, I
picked up and watched,

Does this tell you anything

about wider patterns of
behaviours?
Graham Norton is a huge example of
why films can be so successful,
thousands watch the show, it is
extremely popular however no one
would be interested in it in the same
way if the actors werent huge stars or
up and coming stars. The reason it is
so successful is through celebrity
power.
Netflix is now a massive organisation
where it is mainstream to have an
account therefore whatever is newly
released does have a lot of value in
the publics eyes as many will see it,
also the reviews (how many stars its
got on average) means a lot to me as
there is so many opinions contributing
to it.

Where do you think o

viewing will go?
I think that the experience o
the cinema will become mor
specialised experience as in
TVs are getting better and b
they will have to find someth
makes it better to see it in c
Things such as 4D and movi
so that we want to go there
something we cant get at h
As well as this, I think more
across all platforms after cin
be even more frequent. For e
after it being in the cinemas
weeks or so it will be release
and others so that it gets the
opening weekend buzz but a
incorporates a factor of seei
home and wanting to see it
the experience, the actual fi
as an advertisement.